Where Hair Meets Rebellion: A Rockabilly Runway

A runway in the back of a cafe in Westminster, Colorado probably sounds a little off the beaten path, but sometimes that’s exactly what’s needed to see fashion productions and storytelling with a revitalized vision and a breath of fresh air. 

On July 26, hair and makeup artist Angela Castro produced, “A Rockabilly Hair Story,” a story of rebellion, fashion, and playful self-expression –– all befitting with the DIY production that was put on. 

The lights dimmed and a projector started rolling a film coinciding with the theme and looks of the night, reminiscent of a Rockabilly home movie. Red heels, women fixing and fluffing their hair, and laughs all around were just a few of the clips in the short film. 

Rockabilly is a subculture that sparked in the 1950s, a changing and prosperous time in America. Largely influenced by the defiance to conforming, cookie-cutter standards of life, combined with the exhilaration of rock and roll and western swing music, rockabilly was an amalgamation of style, music, and cultural values. 

“I remember going to a popular 50s-themed Restaurant for some of my birthdays as a young girl and falling in love with the whole atmosphere and sound,” Producer Castro said. “I also grew up listening to mostly classic rock, 50s, 70s, folk music in my household… It wasn't until I had seen a movie about Patsy Cline as a child that I really held on to more of that 50s sound and I also had a babysitter who listened to primarily 50's music as well so I heard it a lot. It was more than just music, it was a movement, feeling something that moved my whole soul, and expressing the freedom to be unique and create, and women even entering the sound at the time was a huge deal.”

The runway itself was a makeshift circle throughout the room, with pin-up pixie models interacting with the crowd, giving a little spunky attitude, pushing for applause, and dancing with one another. With designs by Skye Barker Maa, the focal points were as Americana and pin-up inspired as you’d think: sailor buttons, red roses, stripes, polka dots, and volume were present throughout. Red, black and white made up every look with the occasional pops of tulle, velvet, sequins, and of course, leather. 

The North Star for the show was emphasizing the hair –– voluminous, pin-up styles that fit each model’s persona. From a slicked back greaser in his signature varsity jacket, to a more modern ‘gothabilly’ hairstyle with purple and black pin-up rolls, complete with a clean-cut micro-bang. Others’ hairstyles were accessorized with roses and chains embedded into their hair, while bouncy curls and bumped bangs served as visual threads.  

Despite consistent sculpted looks on the catwalk, it also portrayed a bit like a performance or presentation; show director, Robin Scalzo served historical context and performed live songs between model walks, highlighting the subculture’s impact on self-expression and cultural change. 

“The 1940s helped to normalize women wearing pants, and shorts that showed off legs. Women’s fashion began to become more daring, both with clothes and hair. Stars like Wanda Jackson showcased early forms of the style, as well as pioneering the genre,” Scalzo said. “Rockabilly showed a new hope for the 50s, proving that we could come together after the atrocities of war and hardship. We were able to innovate, and use our creativity to create a new world. Between polka dots and stripes was community and perseverance– something that we continue to bring into today.”

The impact of this show runs deeper than the nonconformist ensembles –– it was about having control over your life and the freedom to make your own choices. Ticket proceeds from this event went toward Family Tree, a non-profit human services agency providing services designed to end child abuse, domestic violence and homelessness. For Co-Producer, Rebecca Accardi, these sentiments and intentions rang true to her core. 

“I was in the South and it was very religious where we were raised, men are the head of the household and we are meant to submit and live by their lead,” Accardi said. “Rockabilly is about women breaking out of what we were molded to be and I feel that I’ve broken this cycle in my life and found my own power as a woman, I definitely don’t need a man to be the head of my life but to think and do for myself as a woman. The reason for the runway was to empower others that we as women still have work to do in finding our voice and not be suppressed by society still –– so why not in a hair show?”

Preceding the fashion show was a young, riot grrl-style band performance, and proceeding the show was a vintage car show, sponsored by Delmont Racing. Between the cafe’s already vintage ambiance, Obscura’s merchandise pop-up, and custom beverages exclusively made for the show day, it’s clear the community of all ages and backgrounds came together for this event.   

As we look to the theme of legacy in September, Rockabilly was ahead of its time, a fusion of Western, African, and Rebellious melodies and cultures, for the first time ever in America. It was a subculture and budding flower to what we know of the punk movement, and subsequently various other alternative music countercultures –– the hippie movement, scene, emo, metal, techno, the list goes on. Although rockabilly was originally meant as a demeaning term to those who were a part of it, the reclaimed legacy it leaves behind goes deeper than the sound. It touches upon fashion trends even today (hello polka dots! hello stripes!) and the multi-cultural melting pot that America is meant to be and stand for.

EDITORIAL/RUNWAY CREDITS ––

Production: @amethystangelhair  @accardi.rebecca

Designer/Stylist:  @skyeaireofficial

Featuring: @rockmountranchwear

Photographer: @tonygallagherphotography

Venue: @denverphotocollective

Hair:

@amethystangelhair 

@tranquilitythesalon

@darreldewitt

@glamour_by_sky

@strongstrandz

Jennifer Heinrich

Makeup:

@neomeganism
Makeup

@accardi.rebecca 

Talent:

@SkyeBarkerMaa

@araya.chacon06

@foxy.kjeanah

@bb_wrxa

@celesticactusfoto

@josiaharment

@a.x.lopez

Makaio

@cheribomb_xo

@bella.fire.colorado

@accardi.rebecca

@regvill7

Photoshoot BTS:

@cannedpears0509 

Vintage Trucks:

@spraguejamison

@delmont_racing

Florals:

@karakarablooms

Cake:

@cakesiconicdenver